The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-07-23
TO FUTILE.
Kansas city Veteran Expresses an
Opinion.

Sir: As a comrade in good standing in the
G. A. R., desire to thus publicly dissent
from and at the same time condemn the
course you have taken with reference to the
President of the United States. At the same
time | shall review your conduct and in a re-
spectacle manner criticise its propriety
In the first place deny your right or au-
thority to speak for all the Democratic mem
bers Of the G. A. r. in Iowa. You speak not
for me.
shall not enter into the question of how
the G.. A. r. has been repeatedly used TO
.sboomi aspiring Republican politicians into
Office that is known throughout the length
and breadth of the land. We know how the
''boomn was applied last year in San Fran
cisco where all of our Democratic generals
were entirely ignored and unlimited. But l
desire to call your attention to the Nervousness
of your offense in offering in your Official ca
pacity as grand commander of Iowa gross IN.
suits to the chief magistrate of the United
States. The gravity of your crime-tor crime
it is to incite to DISORDERS in the threat ut
tered by you in your interview in last Sunday
Reqister and re.echoed by exGrand Com
mander Burdette at Washington, that the
President would regret if he should visit st.
Louis during the grand encampment OF the "
A. K. What if the commander IN Chief OF the
army and navy of the United States should
visit St. Louis in September? What It some
s'crank''-of whom there are numbers IN Iowa
should, instigated by your words, shoot the
President as Guiteau did the lamented Presi-
dent Garfield? What then would be your
fate +? Would not the Incorporate language
used by you and endorsed by the Republican
press of Iowa be quoted as damning proof that
YOU had publicly prophesied this violence?
/ regard your utterances in threatening insult
and violence to the President of the United
States as disgraceful and unpatriotlc.
Did Democratic Grand Army men threaten
or insult Republican President when he
vetoed the equalization of bounty bill
Did Democratic Grand Army men threaten
or offer insult to another Republican Presi-
dent and the Republican senators who opposed
the arrearages of pension act? No, sir, they
were too loyal to the government to permit
avarice and cupidity to lead them into treason.
Let us review, Comrade futile, the grounds
of your proposed demonstration against the
commander of the armies ofthese U. >. While
he is the guest of sister city IN sister state.
You say, che vetoed the dependent pension
bill.' True and he vetoed other bills. as 1t
was his right and duty as chief executive to
do. Is president or governor to be mob6'
ed. hooted and insulted every time he otfends
any portion of the people? What a mon
strons proposition !, as a veteran soldier,
favor "general pension law" as well as a
dependent pension bill, but believe that the
vetoed bill was properly vetoed because 1t
was imperfectly constructed. as most OF our
pension legislation has been and is to-day.
Even now general pension law is being con-
sidered and canvassed by our G. A. X. posts,
and a substitute bill will no doubt be evolved.
Now, Commander futile, ask you in all
candor what good your proposed insult to the
President will do the poor, needy veterans
and their widows and orphans?
Will it assist the passage of the new bill?
Will it strengthen the hands and ranks OF
the soldier friends in Congress?
Will it change the political complexion OF
this or the new Congress?
And above all will it increase the influence
ofthe G. A. r. where it m st needsiniiuence
You have already done much TO weaken
the cause of the men you pretend to champion.
We need friendship and aid, not bitter hos
tility and the condemnation of the conserva-
tive element of our people. Iowa is not the
United States, nor has the soldier hobby been
ridden in every State as it is being done in
Iowa.
You insulted every Democratic soldier in
Iowa when you said; ''The feeling against
Cleveland is tremendously strong throughout
the State. Democrats denounce him as
strongly as Republicans" This l deny and
challenge you for the proof. No decent. in.
telligent Democrat in Iowa would ''denounce"
the President as you have done. The Demo
Gratis in Iowa are too loyal and patriotic to
endorse sentiments that incite to riot and as
sassination You will see, if you attend the
Grand Army encampment in St. Louis, that
Democratic Grand Army men from Iowa will
be there in force and will discountenanoe any
action which might tend to disgrace the State
of Iowa. In another place in your duly au-
thenticated interview in the Globe Democrat
and the Register, you offer this gratuitous in
suit to your Democratic comrades with whom
you trained as Democrat until the Republi-
cans gave you an offer ofan Office. Ever since
the Democrats came into power. there has
been drifting of newly appointed Office
holders into the ranks of the Grand Army.
For twenty years these men kept out OF our
organization, because, as they said, there was
too much Republicanism about it. Within
the few past months these men have come into
the ranks in singularly large numbers and all
say they are coming to St. Louis.
Is this true, Comrade futile? Has this
soldier hating Democratic administration
really appointed soldiers to Office Sin singu-
larly large numbers" and are they really
looming to St. Louis?h What a damaging
confession is this Yet it is true. so far as
appointing Democratic union soldiers to office
and that they will be in St. Louis in Septem-
Der.
Among the "office holders / expect TO
meet and greet General W. S. Rosecrans, the
grand old hero of the Army of the Cumber-
land" and of West Virginia; Gen. Franz
Siegel, pension agent, New York; Gen. ID.
C. Buell., pension agent, Louisville, KY;
Gen. John C. Black, commissioner OF pen
sions; Gen. Villas, postmaster general; Col.
Zollinger, pension agent, indianapolis; Mrs.
Mulligan, widow of the gallant Col. Mulligan,
of Lexington, Mo-, fame, who is now pension
agent at Chicago; Captain Lake, pension
agent at Des MONIES; Captain Allen, pension
agent at San FRANCISCO 1.-THE writer failed
to include the name of our one legged private
soldier pension agent at Detroit, the popular
and efficient Bob McKinstry, who was recon-
mended by Gen. Black, the commissioner Of
pensions, and appointed by the "Soldier ha-
ting President Cleveland. He also omits to
mention the fact that every oIe of the eighteen
pension agents who have been appointed by
Gen. Black were soldiers, except Mrs. Multi
gan, the pension agent at Chicago, and she is
the widow of brave soldier.-ED. and with
them host of other good Democratic soldiers
not least among whom are General Bragg OF
the "Iron Brigade of Wisconsin; General
''Johnny'' Slocum and General Daniel E.
Sickles, of New York; General Stoneman, of
California and General Walsh and Colonel
Stuart NJ. Taylor, of San Francisco; General
John A. McClernand and General Palmer, of
Illinois. And why should they not be well
come in a grand encampment of the G. A.
R.? 1t is because none of them were ap-
pointed to Office by Republican administra-
lions? Except General Sickles.)
will not ask you, Comrade Tuttle, why you
were a Democrat until few years ago. A
man has a right to change his politics as well
as the right to change his coat But will
tell you why we Democratic soldiers remain
true to our principles.
1t is because we believe in n union of States,
a union of the whole people, and disbelieve
in seetionalism."
1t is because Democratic brains and Demo-
cratic generals saved the Union.
1t is because the Democratic party has been
the real, true friend of the soldier.
In support of the last assertion desire to
call your attention to the following facts Of Of
fetal record
A Republican President vetoed the equali-
cation of bounties bill and signed the back
pay steal as well as bills which robbed us
soldiers of the public lands given to railroad